


Rebirth

by MilkyRabbit



Series: Exodus [1]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: EXODUS AU, F/M, Gen, M/M, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-01
Updated: 2015-05-08
Packaged: 2018-03-20 18:13:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3660219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MilkyRabbit/pseuds/MilkyRabbit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two of the twelve forces are gone. Ten have escaped the maze, their powers were lost in it. But when the red forces from before interfere and their powers resurface, will that be enough to reassemble what remains of that once one perfect root.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first EXO fanfic inspired by their Pathcode teasers. Have you guys seen Call Me Baby yet?

I. Kai

For some reason he felt like he was being watched.

He looked back and never really found anyone following him. He decided to shrug that feeling off. It is London after all. It is a big and busy city. Maybe there was a person going the same direction as he was. Frankly, he didn’t really have a destination. He was just pacing around, recalling all the things that happened to him in the past year. The maze, the others, his powers.

Kim Jongin was 18 when he discovered his power. He had the ability to teleport from one place to another. He met eleven other people who were just like him a few months later. They were all called by the Tree of Life to keep the balance and order in this world. The Tree separated them. The Tree brought them into two separate groups. The Tree made them one. It was the Tree who also separated them again and took away their powers.

He was 21 now. A normal 21 year old living in a cheap apartment near London. A normal 21 year old with no powers and no idea what happened to most of the others.

He looked back one more time and saw nothing. That feeling can’t even be shrugged off. He was supposed to just be walking around the street, but he took the subway instead. It was out of instinct. He can’t stand that horrible feeling.

Even after he stepped out of the tram, went out of the Underground, and even walked farther away from the center of the city. He could feel someone was still following him. He went up some steps that led to a ledge that overlooked the city. Sighing, he took his phone out. He knew no one would try to contact him (the last person who did must have been on his way to another country by now). It was a habit of his to check after the incident less than a year ago.

That’s when he noticed the camera lens. A person, he couldn’t even tell the gender from the distance, took a shot of him. The lens was stretched to its farthest just to get a close up of him. Jongin started to panic. He can’t let the stalker know that he/she has been noticed. He turned around to look at the view of the city. He was pretty sure that would calm him down. His heart rate didn’t go down and neither was his anxiety.

He closed his eyes and tried to relax. When he opened his eyes, he was back in his apartment. That feeling of being followed was gone but it was quickly replaced with shock. He slumped down on his couch and knew something was definitely wrong. His powers shouldn’t be back. They couldn’t be back.

Back on the ledge, the person, a woman not much older than Jongin, grinned. She looked at her recording of Jongin when he teleported away. As the video played, a small cloud of smoke was what replaced the young man. He was gone.  


“I’ve finally found you Kai.”


	2. Chapter 2

II. Tao

Spanish was a really confusing language, the young man thought. He never gave much thought of learning it before he started living in Barcelona. He didn’t even want to live in Barcelona. But after the events of a year ago, it was for the better.

Tao took a sip from his coffee. He hated how bitter it was. He doesn’t even like coffee. He didn’t get why his elders obsessed about it a lot. He drank it not because he liked coffee. He drank it in honor of one of them.

He started reading the newspaper he got earlier. Tao’s eyes widened as he read the article. Even if his Spanish wasn’t that good he knew enough to understand what was written. UFOs were sighted the night before. At least 10 of them. 

He flipped through the pages just to get more information about them. Tao knew deep in his heart that those weren’t UFOs. But if it wasn’t extra-terrestrials, then what was it?

That was when the lightbulb burst. He noticed it flickering and becoming brighter before it actually popped. He shielded himself from the sudden brightness with his newspaper. That’s when time stopped, literally.

The shards were still on the air, stuck in it and unable to fall to the ground. He looked around everyone was frozen. Tao got up and inspected the other customers. They were all unmoving. Everything was unmoving. He checked another customer’s watch and saw that it wasn’t moving as well. That’s when he felt panic in his throat. He knew this shouldn’t happen. His powers were back. They were broken. Three of them were gone. They aren’t one perfect root anymore. He couldn’t be able to get their powers back. But, it did.

Tao ran for the door, not minding the suspended glass shards that he hit on his way out. As he stepped out of the café, he heard something shatter and then everything was back to normal. Everyone was going on with their normal everyday lives. Before he can fully comprehend everything, he already made his decisions. He had to go back. He had to leave Barcelona.

In the past few months he’s been trying to start a new life, he couldn’t believe that he’s going back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm obviously following the order of the teasers.


	3. Chapter 3

III. Chanyeol 

A moment ago, he couldn’t feel anything. Then suddenly, he could. He felt something on his face. He felt his body on something soft. He felt the heat of the sun. He felt it all.

Chanyeol removed the thing covering his face, an oversized hat. He opened his eyes and looked around. He had no idea where he was. He really couldn’t understand anything by now. The last thing he remembered was that maze. There was a bright light and that’s when he couldn’t feel anything. He thought he was dead for sure. But here he is in the middle of a field somewhere. He felt something hard on his chest. He looked inside his hidden coat pocket to find a golden pocket watch. He clicked it open and found that it didn’t work. It stopped at 5:07. 

Now he was totally confused. He had to make his way to a town or a city. Maybe then he’d get answers. No matter how scared and lost he was, he didn’t let it show. He was good at keeping it in. As he walked, he tried to calm himself with the facts he already knew. His name is Park Chanyeol. He’s from South Korea. He has a loving family back there. A family he left when he found the others. He can control fire. His best friends are Byun Baekhyun, Do Kyungsoo, and Kim Jongdae. His powers were given to him by the Tree of Life. He entered a maze with the others. And now he’s lost. He’s alone.

He saw the ruins of an old structure and found it weird. It didn’t look Korean in the very least. It looked like something from a western country. One of his many questions was now answered. He’s not in Korea. He’s in another country.

After some attempts to climb the ruins (made harder because he was wearing fancy clothes that weren’t the best to move in), he made it to one of the ledges. He knew the first rule of the wild. Make it to a high place and try to study the landscape. The book he read that from made it sound much easier than it should. The good news was he knew what was ahead of him. The bad news was it was no city, it was a forest. 

He made his way down and walked towards the forest. He might have been bound to find someone, or at least find food and shelter. The day gradually became darker until it was night. He knew it was a right time to use his fire powers. He snapped his finger and expected a small flame to appear. Nothing.

He kept at it. Repeating over and over again. He wanted to give up but that was against his nature. He tried once more. He didn’t know the gravity of his powers. One minute he was in the darkness, the next the forest was engulfed in bright orange flames. Chanyeol tried to kill the flames. He was confident in his control over fire. It didn’t listen to him. It burnt brighter and hotter. 

Chanyeol was left in the middle of the flames. For the first time in years, even after trying to escape the maze, he felt utterly hopeless and powerless.


	4. Chapter 4

IV. Xiumin

He loved the way alcohol warms his body after drinking.

He loved how it was cold when it enters your mouth and everything warms up once it’s down your throat. It was the only way to feel warmth inside. Even after he lost his powers he never felt warm or cold. He never really felt a thing half the time if he wasn’t drunk. He lives in Berlin now and people give him odd looks for wearing shorts during the winter. He doesn't care. He loved the painful cold feeling of it. He somehow loved the hangovers he gets from drinking day in and day out. The only reason he loved them was because he can actually feel something.

It must have been around 5 in the morning when he made his way back to his apartment. He staggered around and spun his keys on his fingers after getting it from his pockets. No one minded that he was drunk. That is why he loved Germany, its unrestricted drinking laws, and the beer it offers. 

Making his way back was hard because 1.) He was drunk, 2.) His hat covered his field of vision, 3.) He couldn’t ride his skateboard when he was seeing double, so he actually had to walk. After opening the heavily graffitied door, he removed his huge hat, put the volume of his headphones up, and trudged his way up the stairs. He focused more on trying to get up than he did with what or who was in front of him. He accidentally collided with a neighbor of his who was leaving his apartment.

“Watch it!” The man growled. Minseok could do nothing but drunkenly nod and make his way to his room, another 4 flights of stairs to climb.

He was usually a neat and tidy person, but ever since three of them didn’t come out of that maze, he stopped caring. Books and magazines were scattered on the carpet, the lamp has fallen over and he never really bothered to put it back up, and his toy top lay on the ground far away from the rest of his things. He bent down, spun it, and made his way to his couch. He dropped his skateboard, threw his hat away, took his headphones off, and plopped down on his couch. He reached for his glass and the bottle of Jägermeister he had. He poured the alcohol into his glass and raised his cup up.

“To Kris and Chanyeol, wherever they are.” He gulped the drink down. He hated the fact that he can’t produce ice anymore. The drink would have tasted better if he had ice. 

“And to you Luhan, may you rest in peace.” He said sadly as he spun the glass around and drank again, this time finishing it. He threw his head back and closed his eyes. He thinks he’d pass out with all the alcohol he’s drank and just stayed in that position.   
That is until the TV woke him up. 

At first it was just static and Minseok didn’t mind it at first. Then it got louder. He opened his eyes and looked at the TV screen. The static got clearer until it showed the words ‘Ediburgh 15:25.’ He moved closer to the TV to check if what he saw was right. His vision was still horrible from all that alcohol. Once he was totally in front of the TV, he was shocked at what he saw on screen. He stumbled and fell on the floor. He was shocked right back into his senses. He slammed his cup on the table and ran. He wasn’t sober at all but he didn’t care. He needed to get out of Berlin. He needed to meet with Sehun.

On his table, the glass slowly started to freeze over. He didn’t care to look back. He just needed to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drunk Xiu for the win!


	5. Chapter 5

V. Sehun

He hated how much he cared about the others.

He never showed it but he always cared too much about the others. He cared too much about staying together and now he’s helping Jongdae and Yixing to find out what happened and look for clues. He cared too much about the others so he visited them to see what they’re up to. In Berlin, Minseok is drinking to feel something. Tao is trying to restart his life in Barcelona. Junmyeon is finding solace in solitude in an abandoned town near Marseille. Baekhyun seems okay in Lyon but he doesn’t really want to help with the three after what happened to Chanyeol. Jongin is in London and he’s just too confused about everything and just wants to think. He hasn’t heard anything about Kyungsoo in months and doesn’t know where he is. It’s been almost a year and he’s disappointed in what they’ve all been up to.

He left London a few days ago after visiting Jongin and getting nothing out of it. He’s stuck in Edinburgh, Scotland looking for whatever goddamn clue Jongdae found in that old library or Yixing found from interviewing people. Unlike him, Jongdae decided to stay in Kazakhstan and read the books in that ancient library to help them get their powers back/save the tree of life/learn more about that maze. Yixing stayed in Yunnan. His contacts were infinite and he was able to get experts on this, claiming it was for a report.

“Go to Edinburgh.” Both Yixing and Jongdae told him in their last Skype chat. Jongdae found a chapter about the strange events in Edinburgh that related to the supernatural. Yixing said that a reporter he interviewed recorded things such as cars floating, a child flying, and sudden eclipses while they were in the maze. The former two were obviously not taken seriously.

Edinburgh was grand to say the least. But he wasn’t stuck in the commercial districts. He was in a small subdivision, near the place Yixing’s source said. He checked the houses, checking if they were locked or not. He felt a bit like a criminal every time he entered the unlocked houses.

He found nothing in most of them. He was down to the last house now. He turned the door knob just to check if it was unlocked, and opened the door. The house wasn’t anything spectacular. But when a flying, wooden airplane approached him, he knew this was the house.

He went into the living room and saw two kids, above them were their toys levitating off the ground. Suddenly, memories of Kris and Luhan started pouring in. He can’t stop it. All the happy times they had together were just playing in his mind.

That’s when the kids noticed him. The next few minutes went by in a blur.

The plants in the vase started shaking violently, a solar eclipse was occurring, the wind was getting stronger and dark leaves were dancing in the air. It was a living nightmare. He needed to get out.

He ran. He ran away from the house without looking back. He ran away from the children, not noticing they disappeared. He ran away from the presence of two of his fallen comrades.

But he didn’t care, he needed to leave. He needed to contact the others.

He didn’t know at all what was happening, he just knew that it involved all of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edinburgh is a really nice city.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Depressed Suho

VI. Suho

He liked to blame Kris for what happened.

Frankly, he liked to blame other people. But he knew deep inside it was all his fault. He couldn’t blame Kris because he’s not here. He couldn’t blame Kris because he himself chose to be leader when the twelve of them became one. He couldn’t blame Kris because he screwed up more.

Kim Junmyeon was a depressing mess. He lived alone in an abandoned town. His only way to know what happened in the outside world was through his phone and the limited Wi-Fi he has from his phone’s signal. He spends his days pacing through the nothingness, pondering and trying to find another person to blame. He spends most of the time in an empty swimming pool wishing the rain can take him away.

His phone alarm rang to wake him up. He didn’t want to get up. He knew that he was living his life in a meaningless routine, but he thinks that living an eternal hell is the only way he can actually forgive himself and stop blaming others. So he stood up and went to the sink to wash his face.

The sink worked at least 60% of the time. The rusty pipes brought him the water he needs to live. But today was that 40% that he dreaded. He deserved it. He looked at his face in the mirror. He physically looked the same but in his mind, he sees a version of himself that has fallen from grace. The rich pretty boy, the straight A student, the trustworthy leader, that was not him. All he is now is a shell of the man he once was.

That’s when he decided to just pace around the town again. The solitude was something that never answered him back. And he was glad for that. People would either pity him or judge him for failing. He couldn’t handle that without breaking down.

Sehun visited him weeks ago to learn about his current state. Although the younger one spoke gently and brought whatever manners he has, he could see the disappointment in his eyes. He must have hated seeing what his leader has become. But he knows he deserves it.

He was now at the small field nearing the swimming pool when he felt a rain drop.

‘Wash me away.’ He thought.

But the rain never did. It was just a drizzle. A drizzle does nothing to him. The rain never answers his plea. He made his way to the small clearing where the pool was. Lots of huge trees grew near the pool and offered it protection.

He liked the pool. It was something to protect him. The emptiness fit him just fine. The walls were like a shield. It protected him from everything and nothing. And the trees, the trees were what covered him. The trees hid everything.

In that pool, he can feel safe. He knows he’ll always be haunted by his thoughts, his guilt, and his memories. He wants to feel as though nothing can hurt him. If he dies there, he knows no one will find him. And that’s good.

He sits in the open space and he feels free. He feels security. That fleeting moment of peace disappeared when the guilt came in. He can see Chanyeol and Luhan’s disappointed faces. Then he can see Kris. Kris had no emotion on his face. That was the worst part.

The wave hit him hard. He didn’t know where the water came from and he didn’t care. He liked the feeling. He felt like he was in control of some aspect of his life again.

He was floating on the water now and all he can think of is the freedom the water gave him.

“Now wash me away please."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't speak Russian or Kazakh. Sorry :x

VII. Chen

He regrets saying that learning Chinese was hard. Kazakh and Russian were even worse.

The cold air of Almaty, Kazakhstan really liked to mock him and his inability to be fluent in its national languages. Then again, the air liked to mock everyone, but he was the one the air targeted the most. It was already bad enough that he was miles away from home, all his friends were gone, and the only ones he was in contact with were Yixing and Sehun. The wind really hated him then.

But there were two upsides to Almaty. The first one is his roommate Wendy. Wendy was from Korea as well. Though she spent most of her formative years in Canada, she also understood Korean, which was good for Jongdae. He thinks he’d go mad if he had to hear Russian or Kazakh 24/7. Wendy helps him with his extensive research when he brings home books in Russian or Kazakh. He lies about that by saying he’s an enthusiast for all things supernatural. She calls him weird. He doesn’t mind though. 

The second one was the roof of their apartment building. He loves reading there. He loves the view from there. Finally, he can actually bring all the books he ‘borrowed’ from the library up there and no one would touch it. 

He goes to the library again. It wasn’t really a library. It was an abandoned building that archived everything he needed. He affectionately calls it the library for that sole reason. He reads the titles on the spines until he finds the right one.

“Oracle” 

“OH”

“Оқасы жоқ”

“Overdose. Yes, that’s it!" He exclaimed. He carefully took the book out of the shelf and blew the dust of it. Overdose. This book was the one the other actually useful book talked about. He took his time to get back to his apartment. The reason was solely because he almost broke his neck going down the medieval ladder. He makes a mental note to replace that the next time he visits.

His apartment building was shabby as hell. It was dusty in all places. The rooms weren’t that nice either. The top floor was empty, except for the occasional drunk neighbors who he stumbles upon. The roof was the only nice part. The maids never go to his reading place. They always stay in the middle, hanging bed sheets and blankets, then they leave to watch a horrible soap opera.

His reading spot was a little tower. No one really goes up there. Wendy has told him a million times that the balcony was haunted. He just grins at her and tells her that he’d take his chances. It wasn’t haunted and that’s all he knows. But he keeps up that façade just so no one would dare enter it. The maids didn’t believe it but they hate their job enough and would rather finish work quickly than check out the ‘haunted’ tower.  
He makes his way up the rusty spiral steps that led to his books. There was a small bench there for anyone who would like to relax there. Tables filled with his books stood right next to the seat. He reached the top of the tower and sighed. He really did hate the Kazakh wind.

He carefully closed the top book which was blown open. He had to be careful with such ancient books. But the top book was the most special to him. It was Chanyeol’s book. After Chanyeol died, being the friend he is, he raided his late friend’s apartment for that book. He kept it dearly as a reminder of him.

The book ‘Overdose’ had a brown leather cover. He was glad all the words were in English. He wouldn’t have to rack his brain for a direct Russian or Kazakh to English translation. Yes, his English was also bad, but it wasn’t as bad as his Kazakh or Russian. With Wendy’s help, at least he could understand the language better than he used to.

An hour passed and he was through with the first few chapters. The Tree of Life, the maze, a box of sand, all his answers were in that one book. He read diligently. He wasn’t distracted by the strong winds that love to annoy him. If they still had their powers, he would have thought Sehun would be the one doing it.

The solar eclipse started slowly after that. The Kazakh sky slowly turned darker and darker. The clouds came in all at once and he definitely knew something was wrong. He dropped the book and looked directly at the eclipse. He hasn’t seen an eclipse like that in 3 years. The clouds started rumbling again and he knew it had something to do with him.

Lightning struck down without any rain. He had to tell Wendy that he’s leaving now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually ship ChenxWendy. Sadly, this might be the only time we'll here from RV's Wendy this whole fic and in the other EXO fics to come.


	8. Chapter 8

VIII. Baekhyun

If there was an award for the longest time you can have jetlag, then Byun Baekhyun would be the winner.

He’s been in Lyon, France for months and he never really recovered from his jetlag. His daily routine consists of him waking up at 3am, being up and about by 6am, and then getting back to sleep by 8pm. Is it unnatural? Not really. Lyon wasn’t like Paris that was awake almost 24/7, but it was a city that didn’t really sleep. He liked that a lot.

The lights were still buzzing around. Everywhere he went in Lyon, there would always be bright lights. His room was always illuminated by the outer lights. Even if he lost his powers, he didn’t like avoiding the light. Obviously, light was everywhere.

He knows the first rule of life well. Keep moving forward. He’s moving forward with his life. He’s moving forward without his powers. He’s moving forward without Chanyeol. He’s moving forward without the others. He doesn’t regret moving forward. It’s the only thing he can do.

Sehun visited him a few weeks ago. He wasted no time at all and gave Sehun a tour of Lyon, which ended with them enjoying some hot chocolate in a little café. Sehun quickly explained to him that he wasn’t here for a tour. He was here to convince Baekhyun to join Jongdae, Yixing, and him. The three of them are still trying to find the truth about what happened to them. He had failed in trying to convince Minseok and Junmyeon who have fallen far into their depression. Sehun didn’t get the answer he wanted as Baekhyun declined the offer.

“I’m sorry but I really can’t Sehun. I’m so sorry.” He apologized and Sehun said he’d be on his way again.

* * *

He had his usual morning walk at 6am. He still found it weird how the sun rose later in France than it does in South Korea. Even if it was dark, the lights around the city kept everything bright for Baekhyun as he walked around. His earphones were blasting a melodious tune as he walked, it was something to distract him from his thoughts about Sehun’s visit. Was it the right choice to have rejected that offer?

As he kept walking one of the street lights started to flicker. It wasn’t a strange occurrence but Baekhyun couldn’t help but look back. That feeling of being followed was strong. He saw nobody and it most probably was just him over thinking.

The farther he went the more lights kept flickering. He was starting to feel more cautious. It must be old and faulty light bulbs. Nothing more than that, he thought.

It was until his earphones started playing static instead of his song.

He checked his phone to see if maybe the track was corrupted or anything. There was the message symbol and the standard you’ve got a message ring tone he put.

“Someone’s following you…” A deep, gruff voice said. He didn’t know who the voice belonged to. Could it be the person following him?

He looked back to check but the lights suddenly switched off. By instinct, he ran.

With each step he took it got worse. The lights flickered more and more. The more he moved forward, the lights behind him shut off. Every light in the city that he now called home disappeared. The darkness which he dreads the most was starting to catch up with him.

He was nearing all the dead ends in the city. He kept pushing the walls so that his body can turn to any direction that had light. He had to keep moving to the light. Then he remembered what his older brother told him once.

“You can never run away from your past Baekhyun. You’ve got to remember that even if you move forward to a brighter future, your past will catch up to you. No matter how dark it is, you’ll have to face it someday.”

He only took that saying as some dumb wise words his brother would say. He didn’t expect the literal darkness to come and chase him. Was it the red forces again? Didn’t they get rid of it?

Baekhyun ran out of luck when he ran into a gate. Beyond the gate was pure darkness. Even if he climbed the gate, he knows that he has finally lost to the dark. He leaned on the gate and took a deep breath as the last light died.

Lyon was now a city of pure darkness. He wanted to cry right then and there. The lights were gone. The bright future he tried to make was gone and he couldn’t produce the light to make it better. He felt the presence getting closer. He was done for.

He didn’t believe the next few seconds actually did happen. As he took a deep breath, small orbs of light floated around him, lighting his surroundings. They were like tiny stars and the darkness was the sky. The presence disappeared and he could breathe normally again. The small lights disappeared as the lights of Lyon flickered back on.

That’s when his mind finally registered what happened. His powers have returned. He had to find the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 More chapters left. I'll continue with a part 2 of the story soon.


	9. Chapter 9

IX. Lay

His contacts list was running low and he was slowly getting frustrated with what little they were getting out of this.

Yixing got no updated from either Jongdae or Sehun in the past week. Everything they were doing was starting to become fruitless. But he can’t lose hope just yet. He decides to take a break which has long since deserved.

Kunming, Yunnan was just like every other city. It was busy, jam-packed with people going from one place to another, each one becoming part of a sea of bodies all too busy to mind anyone else. He decided to part from that sea when he took a more empty and peaceful way to find a place to relax.

He rode his bike around the less populous alleys of Kunming. The alleys were either heavily decorated because of the stores and restaurants or very dirty from the mass amount of cheap condominiums in the area. With each alley he passed, he never found any restaurant that wasn’t too busy. Each was almost full of people even if it was nearing midnight.

He was in one of the more deserted alleys when he hopped of his bike and decided to push it around. That’s when he found a tea house. He knew it wasn’t closed because the lights were still on. He left his bike leaning on the wall before he enters the tea house.

The tea house was empty except for an employee sleeping on one of the chairs. It must have been a slow day for him. Yixing slowly went to the man and gently wakes him up.

“Excuse me sir, is the tea house open?” He asks. The employee looks at him with sleepy eyes before yawning.

“Um. Yes sir. I’ll get the tea ready. Please sit wherever you want.” The man gets up and makes his way to the kitchen, leaving Yixing alone.

He chooses a seat in the very middle of the building. After sitting down, he takes his phone and earphones out. He starts playing a recording of a piece he composed not too long ago. He missed composing and writing songs, but he made a promise with Jongdae and Sehun. He wouldn’t give up or return to their normal lives unless they found all the answers. He knew neither of the two younger ones gave up.

He frequently got updated with any new information Jongdae was able to dig up from the library. Sehun informs him of the state of all the other members. He wasn’t really shocked to hear about some of them being depressed and some of them just wanting out of it.

But at least he heard what had happened to the rest. The only one nobody has heard from was Kyungsoo. He noticed that Kyungsoo acted weird after they escaped from the maze. He was silent the whole time and he left no trace as to where he was headed.

The employee came back with hot tea and left just as soon as he placed the pot and the cup on the table. It’s been a long time since he has felt this peaceful.

He takes out the stylus of his phone and starts writing something down. He writes his favorite English quote, one Kris taught him long ago.

‘You are my sunshine. I need you. You are the one.’

Kris told him the meaning in Chinese and he fell in love with that quote. Luhan always said it was cheesy and gross, but he didn’t mind.

It was hard to think of Kris, Luhan, and Chanyeol, but it gave him the drive to find out if there is a way to save them. He wasn’t like Jongdae and Sehun who thought that the 3 are dead. He believed that if they’re still in that maze, then there is a possibility that they are alive.

That’s when the lights started to flicker. He looked up and took notice of it and then static played instead of his song. He looked down on his phone to see that the screen has erupted into static.

Yixing was slowly losing his cool. He looked around and felt some kind of presence in the tea house. With no second thought, without even getting his phone, Yixing dashed for the exit.

He knows this presence. It was the red forces that he had fought. It has returned. He had to tell Jongdae and Sehun. He had to warn them. He had to warn everyone else. Without their powers they’d be easy targets for the red forces.

He grabbed his bike and started pedaling as fast as his legs can go. He didn’t look back at the tea house or the bud that instantly bloomed when he passed by it. He just needed to tell the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ONE LAST CHAPTER! 
> 
> Thank you guys for supporting this fanfic. Part 2 will be up soon. :)


	10. Chapter 10

X. D.O

After everything that happened, he took refuge in Colorado. Kyungsoo knew that the red forces were following him. He travelled by car to all the places he can hide in for several months. No one knew that the boy was on the run, they just thought he was a drifter. All his neighbors thought he was just some kid in an old car trying to find meaning in life. They didn’t think the boy was anything special.

His house in Colorado was quite big. It was big enough to let him reflect on everything. His mission. The red forces. What the others are doing. The El Dorado.

All of those weren’t easy. His mission was a hopeless one. The red forces still survived. The others couldn’t cope with what happened. The El Dorado was simply unreachable.

He thinks living in the outskirts of Colorado would be the safest place for him. It was vast enough so the red forces can’t find him that easily. But there are the others. The others who are powerless and confused. They’re easy targets for the red forces.

He’s not an easy target. He’s concealed and hidden. He still had that subconscious fear of the red forces finding him if he didn’t run, but he knew deep down he wouldn’t get caught.

He’s the current host of the Tree of Life. The Tree wouldn't allow anyone to get to its new host. The Tree made sure that he’s the only one who had powers left. He’s also the only one who knows fully what is happening.

* * *

He opened the windows of his apartment to take in the fresh air. He removed his headphones, which were playing an old song Chanyeol and Yixing made, as they interrupted the moment of peace he had. It’s not that he never felt peaceful, he chose not to feel at peace.

He chose not to feel at peace while the Tree of Life is in his body. The Tree was using him to keep itself alive when the red forces nearly killed it. The Tree can feel his uneasiness and tried to calm him. He shrugs it off and thinks deeper into everything.

He thought he would have went insane when he could feel everything about life and all the emotions his friends could feel. Depression, confusion, guilt, hope, fear, sadness, frustration. He hated having random visions of what his friends were doing. The Tree was subconsciously doing that to him as to make sure he wouldn't forget his mission.

“I know. I have to find the El Dorado. Now please stop.” He sighs. Their original purpose was completed. Reunite the twelve forces and purify the red forces. Unfortunately the forces were too strong. The Tree of Life was almost fully withered and had to use him as a host. Two of them were trapped in the maze and he can’t feel their life forces inside. Nine of them are left with dormant powers, all still clueless about everything.

The El Dorado was a legendary city that the Tree showed him a million times. It was lost in the sands of time, never to be found again. That city had the secret to defeating the red forces and restoring the Tree of Life. He had to do it alone though. He stalled this mission for as long as he can because he knows he couldn't do it by himself. It was an impossible feat.

“Have I ever told you I regret getting that box in the maze?” He sneered. The Tree never answers him. The Tree knows about his dissatisfaction. He was the one who was baited into receiving the Tree. He didn’t know why. His power wasn’t extraordinary. He just had super strength. The Tree could have used any of the others, but instead he was the one who got the box. He didn't know that he became the Tree’s host until after he escaped the maze.

* * *

He walks down several flights of stairs to get to the ground floor of his house. He was just going to water the plants when he heard someone knock on his door. He looked out of the peep hole to check who was there.

Instead of seeing a person, he saw visions. Visions of the others. The others running, panicking, confused. The red forces have found them. They’re defenseless against those forces. He knows he’s seeing into the inevitable future of the others. They’re powerless and if the red forces, even if they’re weak, they would kill them.

He argues with the Tree nonstop for the next few days. Both of them knew that if they did something to save the others, the red forces would find them. But if they didn’t do anything, his friends were as good as dead.

The day the red forces came, the Tree still hasn't agreed with Kyungsoo. It did care about the others but if the Tree were to be found by the red forces, it would be killed along with Kyungsoo. If the Tree was killed, the Earth would be ruled by darkness and there would be no hope left in the world.

He touches the 10 marbles gently, it symbolized the others and him. He could see what they were seeing and what they were doing. Jongin is being followed by a woman possessed by the red forces. The red forces are closing in on Tao and Yixing. Chanyeol had finally escaped the maze, the red forces do not know that yet. The red forces are taunting Minseok. Sehun and Baekhyun have been found by the red forces, they’re on the run now. Both of them don’t know where to run to. Junmyeon and Jongdae are still safe, the forces haven’t gotten to them yet.

He watches as Baekhyun is cornered and Sehun is starting to be chased by the red forces. He needed to help them somehow. He whispers a warning to Baekhyun hoping he would get the message. He did, but the red forces sped up and cornered Baekhyun even more.

“Please, let me use it.” He pleaded. The Tree didn’t respond. He clung on to Baekhyun’s and Sehun’s marbles. In a moment, they would be dead.

“Let me use it!” No response.

“Please. Please.” The more he begged, the more the Tree didn’t listen. That was when he saw the others’ powers awaken. He dropped the two marbles and watched it hit the other marbles.

The Tree sacrificed its safety to help the others. But now, they’ve both been found. They need to run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating in such a long time. Here's the final chapter of Rebirth. I'm beginning to write the sequel now. Thank you for reading Rebirth.
> 
> I'll beta read this story in the coming weeks.

**Author's Note:**

> Each chapter gets longer. I promise.


End file.
